YOUR DEGREE CHOOSING THE RIGHT COURSE
Hi!
I’m Jess and I am 20 years old. I am from Swindon and now am in my second year at Winchester University studying BA (Hons) Drama. I believe that higher education should be accessible to anyone, and I want to work with people to help break down some of the stigma surrounding high education.
My Journey to University
“I wanted to go to university because I wanted to expand on my love and passion for drama; I wanted to find new areas of passion that I previously didn’t know drama had. University seemed to be a way of learning and expanding on my skills, making new friends for life, and gaining independence I couldn’t get from staying in Swindon!
I left sixth form with 3 A-Levels and an EPQ; I studied Drama, English Literature and Sociology and did my EPQ on ‘What it is Like to Experience Autism’ through the means of performance and drama.
I really think that going to university was one of the best decisions I could have made. Once I have graduate from University, I would like to create my own theatre company and tour various institutions, creating and performing theatre pieces and facilitating workshops commissioned by different associations.”
Picking the Right Degree
“One of the most daunting things I found when applying for university was trying to choose what course I should apply for. Remember that you will be studying this course for the next three to six years of your life, so it should be something that you have a love and a passion for. Try and look at what A-Levels or GCSEs you loved and see if there are any courses that relate to this"
It is important not to stress! If you get to university and realise your course isn’t for you, there’s many options to help! It’s also possible to change your course later.
What course do you want to study and why?
What course should I take?
If you do have a career that you want to go into, then think about looking into courses that link to that career. Starting to narrow down courses can be a scary, but exciting!
“When I was starting the process, I looked through different university prospectuses and made a list of different courses that drew my interest. I made sure to look thoroughly at the course details (what modules it entails, what type of assessments it has, what A-Levels they recommend you took, etc.) and made a note of what the pros and cons of each course were, as well as which Uni provided the course. I then went around the different open days at the different universities and had a more open discussion with the course leaders over queries or concerns I had.”-
Jess
Whatever course you decide to do, try and make sure it is something that you love doing!
Activity!
Using a device that is connected to the internet, go onto the University of Winchester’s website, select “Find Your Course”, in the filters click on “Course Type” and select “Undergraduate”. Scroll through the pages and try and find the degrees listed on the next slide.
When you find the degree, click on it and make notes on the following information:
Course Overview
Careers that prior graduates have pursued after graduating
Duration of the course
The typical entry requirements of that course
Courses
BA – Bachelor of Arts (expansive and creative)
BSc – Bachelor of Science (specialised and analytical)
BFA – Bachelor of Fine Arts (intensive study of art/design)
BArch – Bachelor of Architecture (specialising in architecture)
BN – Bachelor or Nursing (specialising in nursing)
LLB – Bachelor of Laws (specialising in law)
BEng – Bachelor of Engineering (specialising in engineering)
MBBS – Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (medical degree)
Hello!
Meet Elena!
Elena has A-Levels in: PE, Computer Science and Business.
Her career dream is to be able to manage and coach athletes, and maybe have a team of her own.
Outside of sports, Elena's favourite hobbies are playing videogames and computer programming; she struggles a lot with science subjects, but due to her passion and skill at computers, and the help of her parents, she was able to get very good GCSEs.
Elena knows she wants to go to University but is not sure what degree to take!
For this next exercise, consider how each course on the following slide is, and is not, suitable for Elena.
BA (Hons) Business Management
BN (Hons) Adult Nursing
BSc (Hons) Computer Games Design and Development
BSc (Hons) Sports Management
What course do you think is best for Elena, and why? (there are no wrong answers!)